Mahisa: The Buffalo Demon and the Goddess

 

When the army of Mahisasura was being destroyed, the demon entered the battle in the form of a buffalo. His appearance caused the Goddess’s forces to tremble. Some were struck down by his snout, others crushed beneath his hooves. He lashed at them with his tail and tore them apart with his horns. Others were thrown to the ground by his speed, his bellowing and the force of his breath.

After casting down the hosts of the Pramathas, Mahisasura charged towards the great Goddess’s lion, intending to kill it. Ambikā became furious.

Pounding the earth with his hooves, the demon hurled mountains into the air with his horns and roared. The ground was crushed beneath his rapid movements, while the ocean overflowed under the blows of his tail. His swaying horns tore apart the clouds, and mountains fell from the sky, hurled about by the force of his breath.

Seeing the great demon rushing towards her, Caṇḍikā prepared to kill him. She cast a noose around him and bound him in the midst of the battle. But Mahisasura abandoned his buffalo form.

Immediately, he became a lion. Ambikā cut off his head, and he appeared as a man, sword in hand. The Goddess struck him with a shower of arrows, cutting him to pieces along with his sword and shield. Then he became a great elephant.

The elephant seized the Goddess’s lion with his trunk and roared. The Goddess cut off his trunk with her sword.

Once again, Mahisasura assumed the form of a buffalo. In this shape, he caused the three worlds, together with everything moving and unmoving, to tremble.

Then Caṇḍikā, the mother of the world, drank a divine beverage. Her eyes reddened, and she laughed again and again. Mahisasura, intoxicated by his own strength and power, roared and hurled mountains at her with his horns. The Goddess shattered the mountains with a volley of arrows.

Then she spoke to him:

“Roar, roar for a moment, O fool, while I drink (this) nectar! When you are slain here by me, it is the gods who soon will roar!”

Having spoken, the Goddess sprang upon the great demon. She struck him with her foot and beat him with her spear.

Struck by her foot and overwhelmed by the Goddess’s power, Mahisasura began to emerge from his own buffalo mouth. He came only halfway out, still fighting, when the Goddess struck him down and severed his head with her great sword.

The entire army of demons perished, crying, “Alas, alas!”, while the assembled gods attained the highest bliss.

The battle was over. The great demon had been slain by the Goddess.

Source & Note

This article is based on Thomas B. Coburn, Encountering the Goddess: A Translation of the Devi-Mahatmya and a Study of Its Interpretation, Chapter 3, “The Text in Translation,” pp. 46–47. The narrative has been rewritten and adapted for this publication.

Image:

The Goddess Durga Killing the Buffalo Demon, Mahisha (Mahishasura Mardini), c. 1760. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

Image digitally enhanced for clarity.

Read next: Mahishasura Symbolism: Anger, Desire, and the...